February 2020: Ethopia / Lalibela: Young people in groups struggle to overcome unemployment

Young people in groups struggle to overcome unemployment

A group of our particularly active young people in Lalibela has finally found sustainable activity. One of the key concerns of PBF is to counter the unemployment of an infinite number of young people in Ethiopia.

Sete Ebabu and eight other friends started a large vegetable garden project in a wasteland, which was offered to them by the city administration in a peripheral area of ​​Lalibela. They turned to PBF and were helped to redevelop the land for growing vegetables, which they then sold freshly to various hotels.

The idea and the effort were good, but this was the only way to generate income for the relatively large group during the high season and nothing or too little during the low season.

Some turned to find other ways to earn a living. The problems continued for the rest of the group, especially when the administration gave the land to a larger investor and forced the group to leave the redeveloped site.

Again they turned to PBF with the idea of ​​making and selling fresh fruit juices. Again they found support and set up a container kiosk on the side of the road.

Thanks to their innovation, perseverance and adaptation to new income opportunities, the group of 4 now also sells simple, affordable food that the local population can barely afford. As it turns out, this is good business because in Lalibela most restaurants are geared towards tourists and well-heeled locals only. High-priced menus are unaffordable, but now even ordinary people can find a place to cater for themselves with modest means. The administration is also aware of this positive development. This will be reported again here soon.

Building and promoting such jointly organized small businesses with hardworking, creative and resilient individuals or groups is one of the central activities of PBF in the context of its highly respected commitment to the people of Lalibela.